(credit: Elon Musk/Instagram)
On Sunday afternoon, SpaceX completed a static fire test of its Falcon 9 rocket in advance of a planned cargo launch to the International Space Station. During the short test, all nine of its Merlin-1D engines fired while the rocket was clamped down. The upcoming launch is notable because it will be the company’s first from the historic Launch Complex-39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
SpaceX acquired rights to use the site in 2014 from NASA, signing a 20-year lease with the space agency. The launch pad has a storied history, with all of the crewed Apollo missions except for Apollo 10 lifting off from the pad, as well as the first 24 space shuttle missions.
The company had intended to use Launch Complex-39A primarily for launches of its new Falcon Heavy rocket and commercial crew missions. However a Sept. 1, 2016, static fire test accident at its other Florida launch pad, Launch Complex-40, caused severe damage to facilities there. This pushed SpaceX to expedite its refurbishment of Launch Complex-39A, and to expand its use for all launches from the East Coast. In addition to the new Florida pad, SpaceX also has a facility at Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, near Los Angeles, from where it launched last month.
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Source: Ars Technica – SpaceX completes static fire test, historic launch could come Saturday